Michael Sam Says He Is Gay; May Become First Publicly Gay Player in N.F.L.

San Francisco is always the good pick in this hypothetical, but where he projects would fit perfectly with what they do. Depth behind Aldon Smith, for one, and they have A) an immediate problem because of Bowman's injury; and B) a more long-term problem as their linebackers are all getting older.

 

No, it's not.

No, it's not.

 

He was a lock? I'm sure you can back that up, right?

 

This is overblown too.

What's the "frenzy" going to entail? So, you get a few extra reporters at training camp.

They're not going to hang around all season, and the teams have every ability to manage the situation.

If the don't feed the beast, it won't be a frenzy, and from the way this was rolled out, Sam does not look eager to feed the beast. He's had his say. He'll probably address it once or twice with local media after the draft (or after he signs if he is undrafted), and that will be it.

The Japanese media following Masahiro Tanaka will create more of a frenzy than anything this guy will bring.

 

That's really not a valid comparison if you're comparing quarterbacks to defensive linemen. There's a HUGE skill transferability difference between the two positions, particularly for ones who played in a gimmicky college system that doesn't exist in the pros like Ware, or have a skill set that is suited only for systems that exist solely in college like Crouch.

Playing QB in college vs. the pros are often two entirely different things, which makes it a lot harder to predict who'll succeed at the next level. Whereas playing defensive lineman in college is largely the same thing with a much higher predictability factor. Instead of listing QB Heisman winners, it would be more accurate and reliable to list other defensive lineman who've been POY in a major conference as your comparative.

Nonetheless, I'd point out that every one of the guys you listed DID get drafted, and some quite highly, and all were given a fair chance in the NFL (except Ward who turned down the chance for the NBA). Sam certainly deserves the same.

 

Do you ever have an original thought, or do you crib everything off the internet:

 

Consensus first-team All-American.

Fifth-round pick.

Four games played in professional career.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Walton

 

As already noted, against top flight competition he didn't perform as well which is why, I suspect, you have such a wide range of opinion on him.

Teams will want to see how he interviews, medical history and he does at the combine or pro day but I'm guessing he can't skip the combine now.

If his numbers hit in the right range and he's got a good set of knees, he'll edge up. The NFL is ultimately a business decision but if it turns out he was playing on a torn ligament or runs north of a 5 flat, he won't get drafted.

Gay or straight, he's an undersized defensive end that needs to go to a team that runs the right kind of scheme. Where he played in college, and the honors he received there, is largely irrelevant.

 

At MMQB, Sam was projected as the 20th overall pick Nov. 12. He sure as hell didn't play his way out of that spot.

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/11/12/2014-nfl-draft-big-board-2/

It's certainly possible that Staples is just flinging shit against the board and doesn't know a damn thing about what scouts and executives are thinking. But then King should probably write a column explaining that his site is not to be taken seriously.

 

Biletnikoff Award winner.

Consensus first-team All-American.

Sixth-round pick.

Zero NFL receptions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hass

 

Why do I get the feeling that this guy's abilities took a quantum leap in your estimation the moment his sexual orientation became public?

 

One, please stop violating board policy by shoving politics into unrelated topics. Thank you.

This and the rest of your posts show that you really don't know much about the topic or you are too busy pushing your agenda to care about the reality.

You have absolutely no idea where this guy's stock was before the announcement. You have absolutely no idea what it would be if the team's hadn't known about his sexual preference. As others have pointed out, there are plenty of examples of great college players who are not top NFL prospects. I'm not just talking about guys who got drafted high and failed. There are guys who teams knew would never really be able to cut it and they were either drafted late or not at all.

Regarding your point about the morality of the NFL? Who gives a damn? The NFL cares about protecting its image so it can protect its revenue stream. That's it. Morality has nothing to do with it. The NFL's history regarding player safety, specifically concussions, is shameful. The PED policy enforcement is a joke. It's like the folks who ask how anybody can root for a certain team because it has a bad guy on the roster. You're kidding yourself if you don't think EVERY team in the NFL has at least one bad guy on the roster.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to criticize the NFL and maybe this will turn out to be one, but man, you are making up the entire narrative before the first chapter has been written.